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Vanessa Wuestneck

Vanessa Wüstneck LL.M.

Associate
Baker McKenzie Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH von Rechtsanwälten und Steuerberatern

Biography

Vanessa Wüstneck is a member of the international trade, compliance and sustainability practice in Baker McKenzie's Berlin office. She has been with the firm since 2024. Vanessa Wüstneck studied law at the University of Cologne, focusing on public International law and European law. Before joining Baker McKenzie as an associate, Vanessa completed her legal clerkship at the Higher Regional Court of Cologne, with stages at the German Bundestag, at an international law firm in Düsseldorf and at a South African law firm in Cape Town. She also gained valuable experience in public international law and international trade law during her LL.M. studies at Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), where she also focused on human rights and environmental aspects in economic contexts.

Practice Focus

Vanessa focuses on international, European and national law in the areas of trade, compliance and sustainability. She advises clients on internal compliance systems, economic sanctions and embargo regulations, export control law and investment screening law. She supports internal and external investigations, audits and self-disclosures of export control and sanctions violations. In addition, she assists clients in complying with the rapidly evolving EU and German legal situation in the area of sustainability, in particular the new directives and regulations under the EU Green Deal and the German Supply Chain Duty of Care Act. This also includes the establishment and improvement of corporate governance structures and internal compliance programs in relation to foreign trade law as well as environmental, social and governance issues.

Representative Legal Matters

  • Providing advice for a company in the automotive sector on group-wide grievance cases on potential violations of the German Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains (LkSG) and representation for inquiries by the competent German authority.
  • Conducting an internal investigation on compliance with EU export control and sanctions law for a company in the medical industry sector; including advice on EU-Russia sanctions; preparation of training on sanctions and export control law.
  • Advising several companies on a variety of export control issues, in particular the need for/application for export licenses, the Dual-Use Regulation and German regulatory practices.

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Berlin Bar Association – Member
  • Deutscher Juristinnenbund e.V. – Member

Admissions

  • Germany (2025)

Education

  • Higher Regional Court of Cologne (Second State Exam) (2024)
  • Trinity College, Dublin (2021)
  • University of Cologne (First State Exam) (2020)

Languages

  • English
  • French
  • German
  • Spanish